System and method for electrically assisting in removal of deceased humans up and down stairs and into a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A mortuary human removal system with battery powered stairclimbing capability is disclosed having a mortuary body glide board, riveted to a top side of a commercially available battery powered stairclimbing hand truck. A multi-stage two wheeled prop stand is coupled to an opposing side of the hand truck longitudinal rails, which is designed to create two automatically latching positions of separation between the wheels and the hand truck rail. The shorter separation is used as an aid to safely lifting a human body on the mortuary human removal system to a first height above the ground. The second position is at a predetermined height for use as a fulcrum to tipping the foot end up and into an ambulance, hearse or other vehicle and be automatically folded up as the mortuary human removal system is pushed all the way into the vehicle.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of the non-provisional patentapplication having Ser. No. 16/813,301 filed on Mar. 9, 2020, whichapplication claims the benefit of the filing date of provisional patentapplication having Ser. No. 62/817,633 filed on Mar. 13, 2019 byCatherine A. Hill, which applications are incorporated herein in theirentirety by this reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to mortuary services, and moreparticularly relates to methods and machines for transporting a deceasedhuman up and/or down stairs and into and/or out of a vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Often the first call upon mortuary personnel is to remove a deceasedperson from a location requiring the use of stairs. Unfortunately, thisis sometimes done by sliding the body down stairs or dragging it upstairs. For many reasons, these simple approaches can be less thanoptimal. Mortuary personnel are often at risk of slips, falls, andinjuries to their backs, etc. Also, bereaved observers can beunnecessarily left with a feeling that their deceased loved one has notbeen treated with proper respect, potentially creating a lastingnegative impression of the mortuary providing these services.

Consequently, there exists a need for improved methods and apparatusesfor efficiently and safely transporting a deceased person in acontrolled and dignified manner over stairs and into a vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to improve the process ofmoving a deceased person over stairs and into a vehicle.

It is a feature of the present invention to effectively utilize abattery powered stairclimbing hand truck which has been augmented andmodified.

It is an advantage of the present invention to allow for improvedabilities to raise the head and/or the feet of a human strapped to abattery powered stairclimbing hand truck.

The present invention is carried out in an “ergonomic” manner, in asense that risk of slips, falls and back injuries are eliminated or atleast greatly reduced. Additionally, the present invention provides a“dignified” manner of moving a deceased person over stairs, in the sensethat a need to slide a deceased person down stairs has been eliminatedin many situations.

Accordingly, the present invention is a method of removing, over stairs,an animal from a first location and loading the animal into a vehicle ata second location, the method comprising the steps of:

-   -   providing an animal removal system having a battery powered        stairclimbing capability, a foot portion with hand truck wheels        and a head end having a handle;    -   placing the animal onto a surface of said animal removal system        at a first location;    -   securing the animal to the animal removal system;    -   releasing a prop stand release handle;    -   moving said head end while more vertically disposed with respect        to the foot portion;    -   using a battery powered stairclimbing capability of said animal        removal system to move said animal over stairs;    -   lowering the head end at a second location;    -   causing said head end to move downwardly and thereby raising        said foot portion and rolling said hand truck wheels toward said        vehicle;    -   pushing said animal removal system into the vehicle and causing        a battery powered stairclimbing animal removal system prop stand        to move to a more parallel orientation with respect to said        surface; and    -   engaging a hand truck handle with features of said vehicle to        inhibit the animal removal system from rolling with respect to        the vehicle.

Additionally, the present invention is an improved system for moving ananimal comprising:

-   -   a hand truck having;    -   a handle end and a base end;    -   a handle at said handle end;    -   a first plurality of wheels at said base end;    -   a ledge at said base end; said ledge being sized, located and        configured to set objects on;    -   said first plurality of wheels having at least four wheels,        which in combination, are configured to aid in stair climbing;    -   a foldable stand, having a proximal end and a distal end, said        proximal end of said foldable stand is pivotably coupled to said        hand truck, between said handle end and said base end, and is        foldable toward said handle end to a first stand orientation;        and    -   a latch configured to selectively hold said foldable stand in a        deployed orientation and said first stand orientation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be more fully understood by reading the followingdescription of the preferred embodiments of the invention, inconjunction with the appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a representative battery poweredstairclimbing hand truck of an embodiment of the present invention,shown in an unstable and unsupported high intermediate orientation.

FIG. 2 is a perspective underside view of an embodiment of the presentinvention in a high intermediate orientation supported by highintermediate configuration of the prop stand.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the configuration of FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is a view of portions of the present invention of FIGS. 2 and 3which have been specially made to work with structure shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the parts shown assembled in FIG. 4 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although described with particular reference to the human form ofdeceased persons, it should be understood that the systems and methodsof the present invention can be implemented for living persons as well.

The systems and methods of the present invention described herein can beviewed as examples of many potential variations of the present inventionwhich are protected hereunder. The following details are intended to aidin the understanding of the invention whose scope is defined in theclaims appended hereto. The following description should be viewed as anexample of other embodiments of the present invention, which may employsystems and methods which deviate from the details described below,without departing from the spirit and the intended scope of theinvention.

Now referring to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like matterthroughout, and more particularly in FIG. 1 , there is shown a batterypowered stairclimbing hand truck 100 of the present invention, having afoot end 191 and a head end 192, which includes battery poweredstairclimbing hand truck longitudinal frame rails 110, which arearranged in a parallel configuration providing the longitudinalstructural support between the orthogonal handles 140, with handle flatends 141 and the hand truck wheels 130. Hand truck handles 140 are shownmounted on a cross braced handlebar 142. Battery powered stairclimbinghand truck longitudinal frame rails 110 each contain a top rail edge 111and a bottom rail edge 112. Also shown is a battery poweredstairclimbing mechanism 150 and a removable battery pack 120. The systemshown in FIG. 1 from the removable battery pack (inclusive) and below(toward the hand truck wheels 130) can be quite similar to the prior artWesco LiftKar SALFold-L Stair Climbing Truck 274155 sold by Global onthe web at www.globalindustrial.com. The upper portion of batterypowered stairclimbing hand truck 100 contains another very novel portionincluding and extending from the cross braced handlebar 142, hand truckhandles 140 to the head end 192. This portion also contains rail gapspanning handle 170, with central gripping zone 171. Not shown arerelocated electronic controls for controlling the battery poweredstairclimbing mechanism 150.

Now referring to FIG. 2 , there is shown a perspective view of thepresent invention which can be a modification of a Wesco LiftKarSALFold-L Stair Climbing Truck 274155. Mortuary human removal systemwith battery powered stairclimbing capability 200 is shown having amortuary body glide board 210 coupled to the battery poweredstairclimbing hand truck longitudinal frame rails 110, and being smoothand hard to permit sliding thereon a human body. The system is designedto handle a person over six feet tall and with a weight of 375 pounds.Smaller or larger mortuary body glide boards 210 could be used dependingupon the particular needs. In some applications, a mortuary may have afleet of different sized battery powered stairclimbing hand trucks 100,to optimize ease of use for the size of the body being moved. Mortuarybody glide board 210 may be made of any suitable material, includinghigh density polyethylene, which may be riveted or otherwise coupled tothe battery powered stairclimbing hand truck longitudinal frame rails110 or other structural members. Mortuary body glide board 210 is shownwith many holes therein to receive straps or other elongated flexiblecoupling members. Also shown is mortuary battery powered stairclimbinghuman body removal system multi-stage prop stand, generally designated220, which includes prop stand elevating arms distal end parallel wheelpair 222 mounted at distal ends of prop stand elevating arms 224, whichare pivotally coupled to non-slotted prop stand connecting members 226.Slotted prop stand guiding members 228 are coupled to the batterypowered stairclimbing hand truck longitudinal frame rails 110, as arenon-slotted prop stand connecting members 226. One prop stand elevatingarms 224 and one non-slotted prop stand connecting members 226 could beportions of a single unified structure or in other embodiments could beseparate and distinct members. Disposed between prop stand elevatingarms 224 and slotted prop stand guiding members 228 is collapsiblesupport member 230 with parallel support member arms 232, support membercentral cross member 234 and translating slot guided end member 236.Prop stand elevating arms 224 may be of a fixed length or could be madeto be telescopic, folding, expandable or otherwise having an adjustablelength characteristic to accommodate different heights of vehicles. Themortuary battery powered stairclimbing human body removal systemmulti-stage prop stand 220 is configured to have multiple intermediatestages where the mortuary human removal system with battery poweredstairclimbing capability 200 can be stopped and restarted, with the aidof prop stand release handle 240 by engaging the release grippingportion 241, during a task of tipping it up from a horizontal positionto a vertical position, to allow the person doing the tipping up to usedifferent muscles and utilize different manners of grasping the mortuaryhuman removal system with battery powered stairclimbing capability 200.When the mortuary human removal system with battery poweredstairclimbing capability 200 is in the full vertical position (notshown) the intermediate release handle 242 may be easier to manipulate.This multi-stage process of tipping up provides for multiple benefitsincluding the possibility of reducing injuries of mortuary personnel,especially allowing lifting a loaded mortuary human removal system withbattery powered stairclimbing capability 200 ergonomically by using oneslegs from horizontal to the lower intermediate position.

Now referring to FIG. 5 , there is shown an exploded view of the partsof the present invention shown assembled in FIG. 4 where 1 is a sideframe, aka slotted prop stand guiding members 228, 2 is main legassembly, which is aka mortuary battery powered stairclimbing human bodyremoval system multi-stage prop stand 220, which includes prop standelevating arms 224. Also shown is 3, which is a brace leg assembly akacollapsible support member 230. Lock slide bar 4 is shown as well aslock release handle 5, aka prop stand release handle 240. Also shown iscam lock top assembly 6, BTM posit cam lock 7, handle guide block 8,bolt 9, lock nut 10, spring 11, bolt 12, nut 13, bolt 14, wheel 15, akaprop stand elevating arms distal end parallel wheel pair 222, axel rod16, washer 17, bolt 18 and nuts 19 and 20.

One particularly helpful aspect of the method of the present inventionis achieved during a scenario where the present invention is lifted froma collapsed configuration which is horizontal and has vertical heightcomparable to the height of a stretcher in its collapsed configuration.In this configuration, the brace leg assembly 3 is in its orientationmost parallel with the side frame 1 and the main leg assembly 2. Thencentral gripping zone 171 of rail gap spanning handle 170 is grasped andlifted ergonomically using your legs to the low intermediate angularposition (not shown) where the angle α between connecting member outsideedge 226A and elevating arm inside edge 224B is acute and then thelifting person shifts stance and gripping manner (with a pivoting of thewrist or other adjustment based upon personal preference) and moves itto the high intermediate angular orientation, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 .At this orientation, the elevating arm inside edge 224B of prop standelevating arms 224 are still at an acute angle α with respect toconnecting member outside edge 226A.

From this positon, as shown in FIG. 3 , several things can be done:

-   -   1) the head end can be further tipped up with the weight of the        system solely on the wheels 130 and closer to vertical for        traversing stairs, with electric assistance;    -   2) rolled on four wheels without the need to fully support all        weight not supported by the hand truck wheels 130;    -   3) by pushing down on the head end 192 causing a tipping up of        the foot end so that only the wheels 222 are on the ground and        the body on the mortuary body glide board 210 is again        substantially horizontal but now elevated, above the ground. In        this configuration, the system can be rolled on the prop stand        elevating arms distal end parallel wheel pair 222 so that the        hand truck wheels 130 enter a service vehicle, such as an        ambulance, hearse, etc. Once the hand truck wheels 130 are        inside the service vehicle and being supported by a floor        portion of the service vehicle, the system is loaded therein by        releasing the prop stand release handle 240 which allows the        parallel support member arms 232 to pivot and slide toward the        head end 192, this permits the person loading the mortuary human        removal system with battery powered stairclimbing capability 200        to push it into the ambulance or hearse in a way somewhat        similar to how an automatically collapsing cot is loaded into an        ambulance. In this situation, the prop stand elevating arms 224        are automatically folded into the same configuration as when the        system 200 was in its horizontal flat configuration at the start        of this sequence described above. In this configuration, the        hand truck handles 140 are preferably aligned with holes or        other surface features on the floor of the service vehicle to        restrict rolling of the mortuary human removal system with        battery powered stairclimbing capability 200 during the        vehicular transport phase. If no surface features are on the        floor of the service vehicle, the handle flat portion 141 may be        made of a pliable material which provides substantial friction        with respect to a typical floor of a service vehicle.

When it is time to remove the mortuary human removal system with batterypowered stairclimbing capability 200 from the hearse, it can be done asfollows:

-   -   1) it is pulled partially out;    -   2) then the prop stand release handle 240 is pulled, allowing        the prop stand elevating arms distal end parallel wheel pair 222        to be free to drop;    -   3) when the mortuary battery powered stairclimbing human body        removal system multi-stage prop stand 220 is fully deployed and        latched into its higher intermediate position, before the hand        truck wheels 130 are outside of the hearse, the head end 192 can        be lowered;    -   4) the hand truck wheels 130 can be pulled beyond the end of the        hearse;    -   5) then the hand truck wheels 130 can be lowered to the ground;        and    -   6) the loaded mortuary human removal system with battery powered        stairclimbing capability 200 can be rolled on the hand truck        wheels 130 and the prop stand elevating arms distal end parallel        wheel pair 222.

The angle α alpha in this embodiment is always acute when the mortuarybattery powered stairclimbing human body removal system multi-stage propstand 220 is fully deployed, fully retracted or at intermediatelocations. There are two gaps labeled in FIG. 3 . Small Gap (SG) is thegap between the central gripping zone 171 and the release grippingportion 241. This gap should be shorter than the lengths of a typicalfinger for an adult from the palm to the fingertips. This is done sothat the prop stand release handle 240 can be actuated when personoperating the system 200 has a hand situated to grasp the centralgripping zone 171. The Larger Gap (LG) is gap between the same centralgripping zone 171 and a plane defined by the handle flat portion 141where the LG is preferably large enough that the person operating thesystem will not scrape their fingers on the ground when in the processof grasping the central gripping zone 171 when the handle flat portions141 are on the ground. In other words, LG is greater than SG.

The dimensions of the present invention can be changed depending uponthe particular application for which the system is being designed, butin one embodiment the distance from glide board top end 211 and theglide board bottom end 212 is approximately 72.5 inches, the SG isbetween approximately 1.125 inches to 2.25 inches and the LG isapproximately 8.75 inches. The distance between the point of contact onthe mortuary body glide board 210 of the longitudinal axes of the handtruck handles 140 measured to the glide board bottom end 212, which ismight be commonly be referred to as “handle height”, is preferably 63.75inches, plus or minus 2 inches.

The precise implementation of the present invention will vary dependingupon the particular application.

It is thought that the method and apparatus of the present inventionwill be understood from the foregoing description and that it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construct stepsand arrangement of the parts and steps thereof without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of theirmaterial advantages. The form herein described is merely a preferredand/or exemplary embodiment thereof

I claim:
 1. A method of removing, over stairs, an animal from a firstlocation and loading the animal into a vehicle at a second location, themethod comprising the steps of: providing an animal removal systemhaving a battery powered stairclimbing capability, a foot portion withhand truck wheels and a head end having a handle; placing the animalonto a surface of said animal removal system at a first location;securing the animal to the animal removal system; releasing a prop standrelease handle; moving said head end while more vertically disposed withrespect to the foot portion; using a battery powered stairclimbingcapability of said animal removal system to move said animal overstairs; lowering the head end at a second location; causing said headend to move downwardly and thereby raising said foot portion and rollingsaid hand truck wheels toward said vehicle; pushing said animal removalsystem into the vehicle and causing a battery powered stairclimbinganimal removal system prop stand to move to a more parallel orientationwith respect to said surface; and engaging a hand truck handle withfeatures of said vehicle to inhibit the animal removal system fromrolling with respect to the vehicle.
 2. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising the steps of: after said step of securing the animal to saidanimal removal system, perform the following steps: releasing said propstand release handle; grasping at said head end and lifting the head endto a first intermediate angular orientation, where the prop standelevating arms orientation is latched at a predetermined angle withrespect to the animal removal system, where a latching mechanism isautomatically engaged to maintain said first intermediate angularorientation; pausing the lifting at said first intermediate angularorientation; re-grasping said head end; releasing said prop standrelease handle; lifting the head end to a second intermediate angularorientation where the latching mechanism is automatically engaged; andstopping the lifting at said second intermediate angular orientation. 3.The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: after said stepof lowering the head end at a second location and before the step ofcausing said head end to move downwardly and thereby raising said footportion up to roll said hand truck wheels in said vehicle, perform thefollowing steps: releasing a prop stand release handle; grasping at saidhead end and lifting the head end to a first intermediate angularorientation, where the prop stand elevating arms orientation is latchedat a predetermined angle with respect to the animal removal system,where a latching mechanism is automatically engaged to maintain saidfirst intermediate angular orientation; pausing the lifting at saidfirst intermediate angular orientation; re-grasping said head end;releasing said prop stand release handle; lifting the head end to asecond intermediate angular orientation where the latching mechanism isautomatically engaged; and stopping the lifting at said secondintermediate angular orientation.
 4. The method of claim 3 furthercomprising the steps of: after said step of securing the animal to saidanimal removal system, perform the following steps: releasing a propstand release handle; grasping at said head end and lifting the head endto a first intermediate angular orientation, where the prop standelevating arms orientation is latched at a predetermined angle withrespect to the animal removal system, where a latching mechanism isautomatically engaged to maintain said first intermediate angularorientation; pausing the lifting at said first intermediate angularorientation; re-grasping said head end; releasing said prop standrelease handle; lifting the head end to a second intermediate angularorientation where the latching mechanism is automatically engaged; andstopping the lifting at said second intermediate angular orientation. 5.The method of claim 4 wherein said step of grasping at said head endcomprises grasping a rail gap spanning handle at a central grippingzone.
 6. The method of claim 5 further comprising lengthening said propstand elevating arms.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein an angle α isdefined by a connecting member outside edge and an elevating arm insideedge; and where said angle α is one of ninety degrees and an angle lessthan ninety degrees.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein said prop standelevating arms distal end parallel wheel pair are coupled by an axel rodwhich is sized and configured to be stepped on, without bending to,before performing said step of causing said head end to move downwardly.9. The method of claim 7 wherein in said step of releasing said propstand release handle is performed by grasping a release gripping portionand translating said release gripping portion along a line parallel to alongitudinal axis of said animal removal system.
 10. The method of claim9 wherein said step of translating said release gripping portion isperformed by pulling said release gripping portion with a hand which isalso engaging said central gripping zone.
 11. An animal removal systemcomprising: a battery powered stairclimbing hand truck having a head endand a foot end; a prop stand, disposed at a second side of said batterypowered stairclimbing hand truck and having; a pivoting parallelplurality of prop stand elevating arms, each having an elevating armedge; a prop stand guiding member, together with a prop stand connectingmember having a connecting member outside edge; where an angle α isdefined by said connecting member outside edge and an elevating arminside edge; said prop stand coupled at a proximal end to said batterypowered stairclimbing hand truck, said prop stand further having a wheelpair disposed at a distal end of said prop stand; said prop stand andsaid battery powered stairclimbing hand truck being operable when saidangle α is one of ninety degrees and less than ninety degrees and whensaid prop stand wheel pair are closest to a top rail edge, said propstand wheel pair are closest to said head end; and a latching mechanism,and a prop stand release handle, configured in combination to provide anautomatic latching system where once said prop stand reaches a firstpredetermined angular orientation, said prop stand is latched at saidfirst predetermined angular orientation until said prop stand releasehandle is released.
 12. The animal removal system of claim 11 furthercomprising a rail gap spanning handle having a central gripping zone.13. The animal removal system of claim 12 further comprising a releasegripping portion disposed on said prop stand release handle.
 14. Theanimal removal system of claim 13 further comprising a hand truck handlehaving a handle portion.
 15. The animal removal system of claim 14wherein: a first gap exists between the central gripping zone and therelease gripping portion, and a second gap exists between the centralgripping zone and a plane defined by the handle portion where the secondgap is larger than said first gap.
 16. The animal removal system ofclaim 15 wherein said pivoting parallel plurality of prop standelevating arms has a fixed length.
 17. The animal removal system ofclaim 16 further comprising an axel rod connecting said prop standelevating arms distal end parallel wheel pair.
 18. The animal removalsystem of claim 17 wherein said axel rod is free of any planar regionsbetween said prop stand wheel pair, which is configured to be stepped onto inhibit rolling of said prop stand wheel pair.
 19. An animaltransporting system comprising: a hand truck having; a handle end and abase end; a handle at said handle end; a first plurality of wheels atsaid base end; a ledge at said base end; said ledge being sized, locatedand configured to set objects on; said first plurality of wheels havingat least four wheels, which in combination, are configured to aid instair climbing; a foldable stand, having a proximal end and a distalend, said proximal end of said foldable stand is pivotably coupled tosaid hand truck, between said handle end and said base end, and isfoldable toward said handle end to a first stand orientation; and alatch configured to selectively hold said foldable stand in a deployedorientation and said first stand orientation.
 20. The animaltransporting system of claim 19 further comprising; a battery andelectric motor, in combination, for aiding in climbing stairs.